Do you believe in conspiracies?

[Authari]

If so what are they? Do you believe 9-11 was an inside job? Do you believe in the Illuminati? Or that the current pandemic is a hoax?

[The Valkyrie]

If so what are they? Do you believe 9-11 was an inside job? Do you believe in the Illuminati? Or that the current pandemic is a hoax?

Depends on the conspiracy.

Oil companies keeping fuel prices up to maximise profit? Yes.

Moonlandings were fake? No.

Covid is a hoax? No.

Ancient aliens? Complete and utter BS.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

If so what are they? Do you believe 9-11 was an inside job? Do you believe in the Illuminati? Or that the current pandemic is a hoax?

Of course I believe in conspiracies. I don't believe in conspiracy theories.

9-11 was not an inside job.

It depends on what you mean by 'Illuminati'. If you mean the 18th century Bavarian secret society, then yes. If you are referring to some modern-day cabal of evil geniuses lurking in the shadows and pulling the strings of power, then no.

People who think the COVID pandemic is a hoax are morons. I'm not a moron.

Boru

[Duty]

Some, particularly the conspiracy theory that the coalition invaded Iraq in order to acquire the oil fields.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Being a student of Pearl Harbor I've heard no end of stupid conspiracy theories.

[Mister Agenda]

I distinguish between small c and big C conspiracies. The size of the C is related to the number of people who would have to keep the conspiracy a secret, how big the secret it, and how long they've kept it under wraps. Note that a lot of small c conspiracies get exposed, and they're way easier to keep secret.
The Oath Keepers conspired to assault the US capital. G.W.Bush (or Dick Chaney) did not mastermind a conspiracy to destroy the World Trade Tours to provide an excuse to invade Iraq.

[Jehanne]

If so what are they? Do you believe 9-11 was an inside job? Do you believe in the Illuminati? Or that the current pandemic is a hoax?

Almost never.  It is almost impossible to keep a secret for long periods of time in today's world.  The only exception that I have found is with respect to scientific embargos, where a group of researchers make a significant discovery but do not talk about it until their paper is accepted for publication.

[Brian37]

Conspiracies rely on suspension of disbelief when we talk about a mass scale. 

Perfect example is with our current Election system in America and the dangerous lie the orange fuckface sold that the election was stolen. He preyed upon the ignorance and gullibility of the public. The GOP lied to the public in support of this big lie. The truth is every aspect of an election from early voting, to mail in ballots, to polling places, to vote counting locations and certification, voting machines, are always monitored by both parties at all locations. And the state certifications are done in the state capital buildings where both parties politicians recount the electoral votes WITH BOTH PARTIES present, then the sectary of state certifies the election IN FRONT OF THAT STATE BODY. 

Not to mention a sitting judge could get disbarred or impeached or even arrested if they break the law in hearing a frivolous case just to take sides with one politician or the other, same with the lawyers. They cannot simply make unfounded claims and expect a judge to side with them, they always have to provide evidence that their claims are valid, and provable and done from a quality control process before the case get to them. If there is not enough evidence, or the judge sees it as a frivolous case, they will throw it out, which is their duty. 60 judges of both Republican and Democrats in all those different states, and the Supreme Court all basically told the orange fuckface he had no case. 

However, with humans en mass, when their social status is upset or an event doesn't play out the way they think it should, or reasons lack as to why something happened, humans have this horrible tendency to gap fill and explain away what really is unfounded or mundane with the absurdly extraordinary. Things like Big Foot, Loc Ness, JFK assassination, Al Capone's vault are all conclusions based on fantastic bullshit, "I don't have an explanation so therefore it must be the most wild thing I can think of."

Religion can also be claimed as a "conspiracy" too, especially the Jesus myth. Early Hebrews wanted a hero to come in their lifetime so a legend started, then over time it morphed into the character we call Jesus today. Now, nobody likes to think of their hero not being real, and nobody likes their hero to be attacked or slured, so rather than think maybe this was some made up story people liked, it has to be true because the thought of being wrong makes most humans uncomfortable.


And it is easier to fit in if you are sold at birth these conspiracies, or you see other people selling them so that many people can't be wrong, right? Well yes they can. 

As for the election example, it would take literally millions of people to all be in on it at the same time with no oversight, no scrutiny, no free press, if the election were rigged, I would check to see if I was living in North Korea. 

Now that is not to say there are bad tactics in trying to paint others as evil, dirty pool in propaganda politicians can use. And trying to gerrymander districts to create a lopsided advantage, but that is a lawmaking issue, not a conspiracy issue. 

Conspiracies only work when enough people buy bullshit. Delusion in mass without objective independent oversight can set the stage for an absurdity to gain popularity.

But there can be however, very real criminal conspiracies such as plotting to kidnap Michigan's Governor, or pandering with dog whistle propaganda where "your side" "understands" that they "need to act", like the orange turd did in inciting the insurrection. Those were observable and provable things with real evidence.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Conspiracies rely on suspension of disbelief when we talk about a mass scale. 

Perfect example is with our current Election system in America and the dangerous lie the orange fuckface sold that the election was stolen. He preyed upon the ignorance and gullibility of the public. The GOP lied to the public in support of this big lie. The truth is every aspect of an election from early voting, to mail in ballots, to polling places, to vote counting locations and certification, voting machines, are always monitored by both parties at all locations. And the state certifications are done in the state capital buildings where both parties politicians recount the electoral votes WITH BOTH PARTIES present, then the sectary of state certifies the election IN FRONT OF THAT STATE BODY. 

Not to mention a sitting judge could get disbarred or impeached or even arrested if they break the law in hearing a frivolous case just to take sides with one politician or the other, same with the lawyers. They cannot simply make unfounded claims and expect a judge to side with them, they always have to provide evidence that their claims are valid, and provable and done from a quality control process before the case get to them. If there is not enough evidence, or the judge sees it as a frivolous case, they will throw it out, which is their duty. 60 judges of both Republican and Democrats in all those different states, and the Supreme Court all basically told the orange fuckface he had no case. 

However, with humans en mass, when their social status is upset or an event doesn't play out the way they think it should, or reasons lack as to why something happened, humans have this horrible tendency to gap fill and explain away what really is unfounded or mundane with the absurdly extraordinary. Things like Big Foot, Loc Ness, JFK assassination, Al Capone's vault are all conclusions based on fantastic bullshit, "I don't have an explanation so therefore it must be the most wild thing I can think of."

Religion can also be claimed as a "conspiracy" too, especially the Jesus myth. Early Hebrews wanted a hero to come in their lifetime so a legend started, then over time it morphed into the character we call Jesus today. Now, nobody likes to think of their hero not being real, and nobody likes their hero to be attacked or slured, so rather than think maybe this was some made up story people liked, it has to be true because the thought of being wrong makes most humans uncomfortable.


And it is easier to fit in if you are sold at birth these conspiracies, or you see other people selling them so that many people can't be wrong, right? Well yes they can. 

As for the election example, it would take literally millions of people to all be in on it at the same time with no oversight, no scrutiny, no free press, if the election were rigged, I would check to see if I was living in North Korea. 

Now that is not to say there are bad tactics in trying to paint others as evil, dirty pool in propaganda politicians can use. And trying to gerrymander districts to create a lopsided advantage, but that is a lawmaking issue, not a conspiracy issue. 

Conspiracies only work when enough people buy bullshit. Delusion in mass without objective independent oversight can set the stage for an absurdity to gain popularity.

But there can be however, very real criminal conspiracies such as plotting to kidnap Michigan's Governor, or pandering with dog whistle propaganda where "your side" "understands" that they "need to act", like the orange turd did in inciting the insurrection. Those were observable and provable things with real evidence.

You’re mistaking ‘conspiracy’ for ‘conspiracy theory’. The three people get together and plot to rob a bank, that a conspiracy (conspiring to commit a crime). If three people promote the idea that banks should be robbed because they’re secretly being controlled the Zionist Cabal Of Illuminati Space Aliens, that’s a conspiracy theory.

Boru

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Conspiracy believers usually have a loosey-goosey grip on reality and the English language.